It's Time to Hit the Road

Now that the warmer weather is here (for a lot of places), it's time to start planning your road trips. I mean, I love it when I can hop on a plane and arrive at my destination hours later, but nothing beats a great road trip with stops along the way that make it fun and memorable. As a child, our family packed up the car an awful lot. Of course, I am an only child, so there was no sharing the back seat or fighting with siblings. I'm not sure if that made it more or less fun, but I always had a good time and was able to take stretched-out naps while on the road instead of scrunched up against the window {if you have to share, the Napper is actually a lifesaver for backseat snoozing}. Whether you have one kid, five kids or zero, there are always ways to make ever road trip more awesome. 

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Where should you go?

There's an endless number of roads to travel on. If you want to see some of the most beautiful vistas in the U.S., check out this cool list from Afar. Once you've made the plan, create a custom travel map on Google maps. Kevin and Amanda show you how to do it. Drive to some cool amusement parks. Roadtrippers has all the best ones in America. 

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Make sure you plan a lot of stops along the way
A road trip isn't fun if you don't get out of the car once in a while. Look for those funky roadside attractions that might be interesting to check out. Sometimes, he kitschy ones are the best and most memorable, so don't pass up on the world's largest ball of twine or whatever you see. AAA books can help you find these places and they're free for AAA members, just go in and pick them up or order them online. I also like this awesome list from Roadtrippers of "international" destinations found in the U.S., so you feel like you're actually traveling abroad. They also have this amazing map that shows you all of America's best roadside attractions.

Plan some entertainment
You'll probably bring electronics, but make sure you bring/plan offline things to do, too. Books, magazines, notebooks and crayons are always good to keep on-hand, as are travel-sized games and things like license plate bingo that everyone can play. Create a binder for your trip that has printable games. This is a fun (and organized) idea from Glue Sticks Blog. I also love audio books for keeping entertained in the car. Sometimes you just need a break from music or when you're in between radio stations.

Bring a map
I know, you probably have GPS or you plan to use your phone to stay on track, but sometimes electronics don't work properly or the batteries run own. If that happens, then you have the old standby to help you get where you want to go without getting lost if you make a wrong turn.

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Get the apps
You probably won't break down and have no way to keep your phone charge, which means apps are a must. They make traveling so much easier when you need to find the nearest bank or public restroom or landmark or gas station. CoolMomTech has a fantastic round-up for family trips. And if you have kids, then downloading some apps just for them on your tablet is fantastic idea. CoolMomTech has a good list of those, too, which include educational ones, so they can learn something while you travel.

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Pack food and snacks
It can be fun to stop at greasy spoons along the way, but you don't want your family to live on crummy unhealthy food for days, so it's important to pack a cooler with some nutritious and homemade foods. I like to pack sandwich fixings that can be put together wherever you are and delicious sides like veggies and potato salad. You'll want to pack things that taste good cold, like chicken legs, salad stuffs, cheese {for crackers}, as well as fruit. Foods you can eat with your hands are the best. Make sure to keep necessary items on-hand, like a roll of paper towels, baby wipes (for when life gets a bit messy), paper plates and plastic forks. And don't forget bottles of water and/or juice boxes. Freeze them before leaving the house and you won't have to use ice that gets everything soggy. Need some inspiraton for food? Check out this post from KidsActivitiesBlog, these premade sandwiches that travel well from PopSugar and Brit + Co's list of epic road trip snacks. Also, pack your cooler better with these great tips from OneGoodThing by Jillee. Tip: Bringing your own food can also save you money and free up some funds for those fun stops along the way.

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Make sure to stay safe
Being safe and getting your car serviced and checked out before you leave is really important. There's nothing worse than breaking down from something that you could have fixed at home. If you have roadside assistance, make sure you have the card handy, so you can call if you have any problems. If you don't have roadside assistance and your road trip is going to be a long one, now might be the time to invest in AAA.

Keep hydrated along the way with a thermos from Laken that will keep stuff hot or cold for a whole day! They are totally worth the price. Need more great ideas for your epic road trip? Check out these fun hacks from BuzzFeed. You can also browse my Pinterest road trip board for even more road trip awesomeness. What are some of your favorite road trip tips?

Can Travel Make Your Life Better?

Of course it does, but why? And what places make up peoples' top wish list destinations? There are hardly many things I would choose to do if travel were also an option. Obviously, paying bills is important, but saving to travel the world is right up there on my must do list. Here's what others had to say:

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Would you rather stay at home than travel if  you had the chance and money to do so?

10 Summer Staycation Ideas for Kids

Summer is coming, and if you have kids, you can't really travel for the three months they have off. First of all, you probably have a job. Second, you don't have bottomless pockets. The one thing for sure is that no matter what happens over the summer, there will be a time when you hear those dreaded words: I'm boooooorrred. Urg! You hear it echoing in your head already, right? As an adult you think "If you don't go outside to play and keep yourself busy, there's plenty of stuff inside to keep you busy, like cleaning out the garage..." Well, if you put themselves in their shoes and remember what it's like to be a kid, then you know that they are kept busy almost 24/7 between school, homework, extracurriculars and chores, the other 9 months of the year, so doing the same things isn't fun. It's up to you to figure out ways to make their summers extraordinary. Believe it or not, it's not always difficult or expensive to do it either.

Keeping track of your ideas might sound like one of the biggest obstacles. How will you come up with enough things to keep your kids from complaining? I'll help, but make notes of things throughout the year that your children take an interest in. Flesh out your thoughts and either put them in a binder, a spreadsheet or write them out on slips of paper to put in a jar for when the "I'm bored"s are threatening to take over. Can you organize them and make them a surprise for the kids? Keeping things a secret is one way to make any activity more exciting. By springing something on them at the last moment, you've already made it twice as cool. Here are some ideas you can instantly put on your list:

Travel without leaving home

By not leaving home, I mean not leaving your hometown. In short, be a tourist in your own city. You may have lived 5, 10, 15 years in the same city and missed out on some of the coolest things there are to do there. Or maybe you did it when you first moved and have decided it's for travelers and haven't done it again. Some of those things are the best things to do again, especially with kids because they see things totally different. Is there a great attraction that you haven't ever visited? Do you see something everyday, but have never seen it up close? Is there a historical building nearby that you've never been inside? Now's the time to make that list and go do it. In fact, you can probably find a lot of free things that you've never done.

Plan a mini vacation

Maybe you're already headed on vacation in a few months or you're saving money to go at another time of the year, but that doesn't mean you can't make a fun trip out of an event. There are tons of things going on everywhere in the summer months, so pick one that everyone will find fun, make a day of it and book a hotel or airbnb for the night, just so it feels like you aren't home and you have a reason to pack a bag. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just sleeping in a different bed and not having to clean up after yourself for a night (or two) can really refresh you.

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Go camping/glamping in the backyard

Ditch the digital devices, pitch a tent in the yard, make it ultra comfy with all your favorite blankets, pillows, throws, beanbags, light the firepit and get some bonding going on. Maybe you want to set up a little table with a lamp (or one of those fancy LED lanterns) and play board games. Make some fancy s'mores. Get delivery. Just being outside in nature can be enough of a change of pace and scenery. Leave the smartphones, tablets and TV inside for a bit of a digital detox. I will suggest you bring a radio (you still have one of those, right?) out to create some ambiance. Snuggle in for the night and listen to the sounds of outside. This is a fun way to spend evenings that don't revolve around texting or ignoring each other in different parts of the house. Get back to basics and enjoy one another.

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Have a drive-in movie night

I don't know about you, but we used to go to the drive-in a lot I was a kid. It was so fun. I'm sad that so many drive-in theaters have gone by the wayside, so we have made out own at home. As you may remember, we have our own projector and screen to have outdoor movie nights in the spring and summer. You can do the same at home for cheap and either set it up in your driveway to watch from inside the car or put it up in the backyard where you can cuddle up in a blanket with some popcorn and snacks and pretend you're at a drive-in. Invite some friends, play a double-feature and set up a snack bar for intermission.

Make the most of the memberships you have

Do you have a membership to the zoo, aquarium, children's museum or science museum? Then find out the restrictions on them and learn what events are going on that you can use them for. Summer usually brings more special events and educational programs, so make the most of them for only a few dollars or just the price of gas. That'll stretch your budget and keep your kids entertained and learning.

Plan a travel party

So, maybe you can't afford to pack your bags and fly everyone to a cool destination, like Spain or London or France. That doesn't mean you can't still experience what it's like. Get everyone on board for a travel party and plan a meal (or potluck if you want to share your "trip" with friends) and get your family involved in decorating and learning about the country/city. Theme parties can be really fun and don't have to cost a lot. We've done Vegas parties, British parties, Italian parties and even Hogwarts' parties. Make traditional dishes, play music from the place you've chosen and find games you can play too. Make it even more exciting by giving guests a new identity of famous and past and present residents.

Pack a picnic and take a drive

We used to do this a lot when I was a kid. We didn't have a destination in mind, we just packed a cooler, maybe a change of clothes and got int he car and drove. Getting lost is the perfect way to find hidden gems around where you live. We didn't always go anywhere fun, but we were together. Often you find those random roadside attractions you've never seen or heard of. Stop at a park or rest stop and spread out your picnic on the ground or on a table and just enjoy being outside with your family.

Use Groupon

I promise you, no matter who you are or where you live, you've never done everything there is to do in your city. Let Groupon help you try new restaurants, do fun activities, learn new skills or find out more about where you live for up to 90% off. We save so much using daily deal sites, which means you can keep your family engaged fora  fraction of the price. Instead of just one activity, you can do 2-4 for the same price.

Go on a city tour

Do you know about the bridges in your city? What about the history of it? How did the food scene evolve? Who shaped and grew the city into what it is today? Every city has a backstory. What's yours? I'll be there are lots of things you don't know about where you live. A few years ago we took an amazing boat tour along the Willamette River. We've also taken a tour of the Portland underground known as the Shanghai Tunnels. We plan to take Portland walking tours and even the trolley tour we have here. I mean, we do this when we travel, why not at home? Keep your eye on the Groupon feed, too, because you'll find a lot of deals for such things.

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Plan a scavenger hunt outing

I love this idea. If I had kids, I'd be planning these often, because it can make anything more fun. Come up with a list of things to find - a bridge, a phone booth, a police car - and make a copy for everyone in the family. Whether you're going to the zoo, running errands or heading to the farmers' market, anytime someone can cross off something on their list, it makes it pretty exciting.

There are lots of ways to have fun with your family on a budget. You can find more ideas on my Staycation Pinterest page. Also, don't forget to keep your camera handy to take photographic evidence of all your summer fun. What are your favorite ways to enjoy a staycation with your kids?